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Kickoff returns used to be some of the most exciting plays in the NFL. But, rarely are kicks even returned now, and kickoffs seem kind of like a waste of time.
That may not last much longer, as NFL Vice President for Football Operations Troy Vincent hinted on Wednesday that kickoffs could possibly be eliminated in the very near future.
NFL exec Troy Vincent says kickoff is a “dead ceremonial play today” and will be addressed. Sounds like the one-year experiment encouraging fair catches will be modified, if not going away entirely. pic.twitter.com/I3VBffVF2M
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) December 13, 2023
Now, you may be thinking, “that doesn’t say that kickoffs are going to completely go away.” That would be true. He’s talking about the kickoff fair catch rule, which allows players inside the 25-yard-line to fair catch the kickoff and the ball would be placed at their own 25-yard-line.
The rule, which mirrors a college football rule, was put in place to help cut down on the number of kickoffs actually returned. Research shows that kickoffs have elevated injury rates. The league wanted to increase the number of touchbacks in 2011 when they moved the kickoff up from the 30-yard-line to the 35-yard-line. And, that worked, as kickoff returns went way down.
But, teams got smart and started popping up kicks to force returns, where they would routinely stop the return-man inside the 25 and gain a few yards. The league wanted to put a stop to that, so they instituted the fair catch rule.
Very few kickoffs are even returned now, and only two have been brought back for touchdowns this year.
So, what changes could the NFL even be hinting at? Yes, they could get rid of the fair catch rule. But, it’s hard to believe they will do that, considering it was introduced for safety reasons. I think it’s likely that kickoffs are phased out.
What about onside kicks? Rule changes have already made them much more difficult to recover. One suggestion has been to give teams wishing to get the ball back a 4th and 15 at their own 25-yard-line. If they convert, they get the ball at the conversion spot. If they don’t, the defense gains possession at the spot of the ball.
Bottom line, the days of great kickoff returners like Dante Hall seem well in the past.